I once read that there was a direct correlation between a woman's IQ and the height of her heels. A probable assertion, I assumed, because of the sheer ridiculousness of believing that hobbling around in too-high heels was anything other than extremely obtuse.
As such, I'm more of a bag than a shoe gal, preferring interesting local designers to embarrassingly overpriced arm candy. When in New York I fell in love with (relatively) fairly priced Aleya NYC and in London I'd recommend Ally Capellino on Calvert Avenue, the designer's boutique with workshop out back and boasting an unbeatable selection of Capellino's bags, belts, hats and purses.
At the risk of sounding like a wannabe fashion journo, I would say that Capellino's designs fall under the 'stealth fashion' category. They're not flashy, weighed down with excess hardware or made from exotic skins. These are good old-fashioned unisex handbags made of leather so beautiful it only gets better with age. read more